diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/feedback-flush-controller.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/feedback-flush-controller.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5fa0f2eb720
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/feedback-flush-controller.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError } from "../app.js";
+
+describe("feedback export flush error classification", () => {
+  it("recognizes wrapped database connection-refused errors", () => {
+    const error = new Error("Failed query: select ...: connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:54329");
+    (error as { cause?: unknown }).cause = Object.assign(
+      new Error("connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:54329"),
+      { code: "ECONNREFUSED" },
+    );
+
+    expect(isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError(error)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not classify ordinary feedback upload failures as database outages", () => {
+    expect(isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError(new Error("upstream returned 500"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/server/src/app.ts b/server/src/app.ts
index 21ebb1497d3..59390116d2f 100644
--- a/server/src/app.ts
+++ b/server/src/app.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,14 @@ const VITE_DEV_STATIC_PATHS = new Set([
   "/sw.js",
 ]);
 
+export function isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError(err: unknown): boolean {
+  const error = err as { code?: unknown; message?: unknown; cause?: unknown };
+  if (error?.code === "ECONNREFUSED") return true;
+  const message = typeof error?.message === "string" ? error.message : "";
+  if (message.includes("ECONNREFUSED")) return true;
+  return Boolean(error?.cause && isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError(error.cause));
+}
+
 export function resolveViteHmrPort(serverPort: number): number {
   if (serverPort <= 55_535) {
     return serverPort + 10_000;
@@ -405,18 +413,37 @@ export async function createApp(
 
   jobCoordinator.start();
   scheduler.start();
-  const feedbackExportTimer = opts.feedbackExportService
+  let feedbackExportShuttingDown = false;
+  let feedbackExportTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+  const disableFeedbackExportFlushes = () => {
+    feedbackExportShuttingDown = true;
+    if (feedbackExportTimer) {
+      clearInterval(feedbackExportTimer);
+      feedbackExportTimer = null;
+    }
+  };
+  const flushPendingFeedbackExports = async () => {
+    if (feedbackExportShuttingDown) return;
+    try {
+      await opts.feedbackExportService?.flushPendingFeedbackTraces();
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (isDatabaseConnectionUnavailableError(err)) {
+        disableFeedbackExportFlushes();
+        logger.warn({ err }, "Disabling pending feedback export flushes because the database is unavailable");
+        return;
+      }
+      logger.error({ err }, "Failed to flush pending feedback exports");
+    }
+  };
+
+  feedbackExportTimer = opts.feedbackExportService
     ? setInterval(() => {
-      void opts.feedbackExportService?.flushPendingFeedbackTraces().catch((err) => {
-        logger.error({ err }, "Failed to flush pending feedback exports");
-      });
+      void flushPendingFeedbackExports();
     }, FEEDBACK_EXPORT_FLUSH_INTERVAL_MS)
     : null;
   feedbackExportTimer?.unref?.();
   if (opts.feedbackExportService) {
-    void opts.feedbackExportService.flushPendingFeedbackTraces().catch((err) => {
-      logger.error({ err }, "Failed to flush pending feedback exports");
-    });
+    void flushPendingFeedbackExports();
   }
   void toolDispatcher.initialize().catch((err) => {
     logger.error({ err }, "Failed to initialize plugin tool dispatcher");
@@ -435,13 +462,19 @@ export async function createApp(
   }).catch((err) => {
     logger.error({ err }, "Failed to load ready plugins on startup");
   });
-  process.once("exit", () => {
-    if (feedbackExportTimer) clearInterval(feedbackExportTimer);
+  let appServicesShutdown = false;
+  const shutdownAppServices = () => {
+    if (appServicesShutdown) return;
+    appServicesShutdown = true;
+    disableFeedbackExportFlushes();
     devWatcher?.close();
     viteHtmlRenderer?.dispose();
     hostServiceCleanup.disposeAll();
     hostServiceCleanup.teardown();
-  });
+  };
+  app.locals.paperclipShutdown = shutdownAppServices;
+
+  process.once("exit", shutdownAppServices);
   process.once("beforeExit", () => {
     void flushPluginLogBuffer();
   });
diff --git a/server/src/index.ts b/server/src/index.ts
index dd831c3bc62..c039f7584f1 100644
--- a/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/index.ts
@@ -904,6 +904,9 @@ export async function startServer(): Promise<StartedServer> {
         await telemetryClient.flush();
       }
 
+      const appShutdown = (app as { locals?: { paperclipShutdown?: () => void } }).locals?.paperclipShutdown;
+      appShutdown?.();
+
       if (embeddedPostgres && embeddedPostgresStartedByThisProcess) {
         logger.info({ signal }, "Stopping embedded PostgreSQL");
         try {